I sold an item online through eBay and the USPS has lost the package. Has anyone gone through the process before? I have called the USPS and filed a claim. They called back and said that they are still looking for it. Meanwhile the tracking information has not been updated. Does the post office ever find these lost packages? Will I be able to get a refund for the shipping charge at least? Is there anyway I can hurry up the process?
Yep, I sure have. And more often than not, my packages weren't found. As for your costs, if you paid through PayPal, then yes, you can get reimbursed through them sometimes. Just file a claim and hope for the best.
As a fellow eBay seller, I have been where you are. This type of stuff happened to me all the time, particularly when I had to ship over 400 items in a week. There were always at least 10 packages that were never delivered. You are following the right steps. Typically, USPS have at least 3 days to get back to you with an update on your package whereabouts. If the item was lost, you can put in for a report to receive a refund. I believe this is only possible if you have some type of insurance on the item.
There is a "District Office" in each area. If the item is not being updated, it is because it is not being run through any machines. My guess is that something happened to the address (something could have leaked on it, or the label could have come off). As for the "Quality Control or In-Plant Support" person in the main processing building. If you want to private message me with your zip code, I can point you in the right direction for whom to call. I have worked for them for 15 years. We have people who re-wrap packages that fall apart and try to figure out the addresses that may be distorted for whatever reason. Even when things are "non-machinable" --such as a single coconut, yes, I have gotten them-- they are processed by hand, but the worker scans it. For this reason, I am guessing your item has an address problem. Otherwise, it would have turned up with a scan on your delivery confirmation number. There are so many crazy things in the mail you wouldn't believe, I wrote a book about it because I just had to tell the story.
